Does our Mathematics Curriculum need a Facelift?
Christina Whates
Dan Meyer proposes that we need to change our approach when it comes to mathematics in the classroom that encourages inquiry thinking. Often our lessons present mathematics in a manor that is strictly on a memorizing basis. Students answer all questions in a similar way - they find the same three pieces of information plug it into an equation and away they go. But are we really teaching students to become critical thinkers? How could incorporating real life questions that students can actually relate to change how students see mathematics? Dan Meyer has fully convinced me that if teachers create problems that allow students to question and apply real life situations, it will increase their problem solving abilities as they progress into adulthood.
Christina,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this awesome video on Dan Meyer. This insightful TED talk definitely made me agree with Dan that our math classroom does in fact need a facelift. I have seen numerous students not understanding a question from the text or are just overwhelmed with what is being asked by the text. I like how Dan breaks down the importance of removing all the "excess" information from the question and allowing students to think more practically about how to solve the problem. This in turn will allow students to focus more on the formula and processes rather than the numbers in the question and how to use them to calculate the correct answer.
Rob